One of the Lucky Ones
by Fanboyofboredom
Summary: A fanfic about Pearl Harbor from a first person view, having nothing to do with the actual movie, just the one category making sense. I would love constructive criticism over anything. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1: Barracks

I woke up 6:00 that morning. I was one of the lucky ones. I was a lieutenant on the U.S.S. California. Around 7:00, I was laying awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. I guess I had a little too much on my mind, the war in Europe and all, and rumors about it spreading to our country. Guess we just had to wait and see. A bit after 7:30, I went to the bathroom. When I came back, I refused to get back into bed because I wouldn't wake up until nine. So, I started getting dressed and getting my teeth brushed before the bathroom was full of knuckleheaded rookies. I was getting my socks on when our captain ran into the room. You see, back then we hated our captain and the feeling was mutual. He thought we were good-for-nothing, gun-ho trigger jockeys, and those were his actual words. And the morning of December 7,1941 wasn't all that much different, or so I thought.

I heard a bang. Well, it wasn't really a bang, more like a boom. Either way, it woke up the other soldiers bunking in this room, along with the rest of the ship. I hurried to get my socks on as our captain started to yell. "Up and at 'em maggots, we got some Japs on American soil looking to start some trouble. We got a job to take 'em down. Meet me topside by 0800." Then he left. I glanced at the clock. 7:55, typical captain. I hurriedly tied my shoelaces and ran through the door into the narrow hallway. I felt claustrophobic because of all the people in the hall at once, even after all those drills we ran getting ready for something just like this. Another bang shook the ship and knocked me off my feet.

"Got damage in the aft of the boat, Japanese subs in the harbor," I heard someone say over the ships loudspeakers. I hurried my pace to get topside, dodging fumbling newbies and other obstacles. I got topside and another explosion shook the ship and I flew sideways, hitting the guardrails of the ship and flying over the side, hanging on for dear life. I looked down and saw the damage caused to the ship. A huge hole was blown in the front and aft of the ship; it was a wonder this boat was still afloat. I was losing my grip with a three-finger hold with one hand. Two fingers; and then I lost grip completely.


	2. Chapter 2: Topside

It all happened in slow motion. At least it seemed like it. I felt like I was hovering over myself, watching a soulless husk, flailing his arms wildly, as he fell into the ocean. Then I felt something grab the body's—my hand and I was in my body again, looking down at the ocean, dangling with one hand being held my captain.

He sighed. "What am I going to do with ya? Someone's gotta be in charge if I bite the bullet." He pulled me up by the arm. I just sat there, panting. He stood up." Get to your station, you know it well." He cocked is rifle and aimed it at the sky. I ran to my AA (anti-air) turret and jumped in the seat. Back then, there were two people needed to operate those turrets: one to aim, one to fire. I was the only one there. I was the aimer usually so I started winding the turret toward a squadron of zeros. I ran around the side and fired off a round of about 8 shots. Every one missed.

I cursed. This was not going to be easy. I loaded the chamber of the turret to the max 12 flak shots. I aimed to a random part of the sky and got ready to fire. When a group of about 5 zeroes passed into my sights, I fired again. A hit the one on the far left and it went down. Seeing this, the zeroes returned fire. I jumped from the turret before the bullets from the Japanese planes could strike the turret and have it explode. I covered my face from the debris and the explosion caused my ears to ring.

I was able to recover in time to not be shot up by Japanese zeros. I did however, watch one of my shipmates get torn apart by fire. I looked back at once was my turret to see a fiery burning husk of metal. I stood, and stumbled, and fell. There was suddenly a sharp burning pain in my leg and I looked. I had a gash in my leg with blood seeping into my right pant leg, and I couldn't stand. As I tried crawling to the stairs, the squadron of planes flew away, leaving the watercraft smoking and barely floating.

"Get up, lieutenant, its not that bad," said the captain. He pulled me over his back and took me down to the lower deck and had me patched up. In the distance, engines of planes could be heard, and the captain looked me in the eyes. "I got a proposition for you. Since you can't walk, and you can't drown here, how would you like to take the gunboat and kill as many zeroes as we can." I thought for a second. It would be dangerous, but fun. Plus, I wouldn't have to move, even better. I nodded. "Good," he said," now get your rifle, we have a job to do.


	3. Chapter 3:Off the boat

I grunted. Moving hurt- a lot. I positioned myself so I would get the machine gun, because frankly, I didn't want to die too quickly. Captain counted down, but I tuned him out. He was way too loud. I counted in my head… 5…4…3…2…1… go. It lurched forward and we were on the waves of Pearl Harbor. We looked up and saw them. There weren't just zeroes this time. There were bombers, and we knew where they were heading, the airplane hangars. We had to take out as many as we could before they could get there. I started firing at each target, but with the recoil, all the bullets missed. The captain fired one shot, and nailed one in the cockpit, sending it on a spiral. He was too good at his job, I really can't not be jealous, but can't focus on that now (too damn good).

Fired a round, missed. Fired a round, missed. Fired a round, missed. I couldn't get a shot. I took a breath and looked down, and wished I hadn't. All I saw were the bodies of sailors and gunners. Each one with little holes in their bodies, in their own little puddles of blood in an ocean of oil. I fought tears, I saw some good friends in that oil. I wiped my eyes and suddenly I had a renewed rage at those fucking Japanese assholes. I fired a round of three or four shots per, to lessen the recoil, and I was able to bring down a plane. That's good one down, two hundred to go. Fantastic.

I shot a few more bullets and winged one. It set fire to the plane, but made the pilot angry. He broke formation and came in a direct line for us, and even more run, he was carrying two tons of ouch. Plus another ton of boom. The captain and I looked up just in time to see the bomb fly right towards us and we both went over the side to avoid direct impact from the explosion, but we got thrown about twenty feet in opposite directions.

Have you ever tried swimming with a bum leg? What about a leg that hurt every time you moved it. It isn't all that fun. Now try doing it with bullet fire being rained on top of you, guess what? Even less fun. I managed to survive it nevertheless. I grabbed onto a floating piece of debris and with one leg and one arm, swam towards land.


	4. Chapter 4:End of plot

I crawled onto the beach, my whole body soaked. I laid myself face-up on the sand, looking at the sky. It seemed like everything was melding together, the planes, the smoke and the midair fire. I was uncomfortable, in pain and I am pretty sure I wasn't holding onto my gun anymore. I looked at my hand. Yep, not holding the gun. I felt myself moving, but I couldn't tell if it was real or not. I tried to make my mind wander, get it away from thinking about death. Oh great, there it is again. Death. Haha, funny word, death. Oh great now I'm loopy. Loopy, loopy,loopy. Is this what happens when death is imminent? You either face it head-on, or go into denial.

This was definitely denial. Either that or I was insane, yes, insane sounds about right. At least I brushed my teeth this morning. I'm also going to miss my wife… oh wait, I don't have one! Teehee. My vision was fading and everything was turning black. Here it goes. Blacky, blacky black. Darker , darker , darker…

"We're losing him, nurse," said a voice." A volt in my chest. "Ok, turn it up." Another volt in my chest. Ow. "Ok were not going to lose him yet, turn it up." A third volt that made my eyes fly open. "Ouch, what the hell?" I said. I looked around and saw all the shot-up bodies, I heard all the screams of agony. I took a breath. "Where's the captain?" I looked around and so no one. I stood up but had to steady myself on a nurse. Another person was put onto my bed. I crawled outside and sat on a bench, seeing the violence was over. The captain was nowhere to be seen, so I decided to sleep. That's right, on a bench. Right after Pearl Harbor. The end of the plot.


	5. Chapter 5: Present day

I laid a flower on is gravestone. I said a quick prayer and moved onto the next one. I laid a flower and said a quick prayer. I paused at the next stone. I kneeled and stayed silent their for a minute, two minutes, five minutes, an hour. I laid a rose, a daffodil and a lily on the tombstone. I moved onto the next grave and cried for about an hour, remembering the times. I stood up and went for my car, finishing this year's rounds.

I always make sure to go for those two tombstones last. They were put next to each other for a reason, for they served together in the beginning of a war. The second one I had gone to was of a man, who had barely escaped death during that fateful day. And to his left, the one I make sure to go to first, is a man I owe my life to. Of a man who saved a life, a life who I owe my life to.

That captain saved the life of this man, my father, and for that I owe him everything.

"Come on, dear," said a voice behind me," we have to go back home, the kids will be home soon." I turned to face my wife, and I nodded. Yep, my dad was definitely one of the lucky ones.


End file.
